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With three productions a year, and just seven degrees issued in five years, Lake Tahoe Community College is looking at eliminating their theater program and moving toward a community theater model.

Theater staff at the college were advised on Tuesday that LTCC administration is recommending to the Board of Trustees that they’re recommending discontinuing the theater program.

Over the past 1.5 years, administrators have been going through a process that included research on program vitality at the college.

I am one of the candidates running for the Lake Tahoe Community College Board of Trustees representing area 4.

The second annual WordWave Festival will take place October 21-23, 2016, on the shore of South Lake Tahoe at the Tallac Historic Site. Some of the most creative and inspiring writers, musicians, and performers from around the country will be on the South Shore to share their talents at this three-day event. The festival will be interactive, featuring readings, workshops, panels, plays, open mics, guided hikes, and oral storytelling.

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency is offering a free “Aging and Caregiver” education series in South Lake Tahoe on Mondays from October 10 through November 14 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel.

The educational series will provide instruction and support for people who care for or plan to care for an aging family member or friend. Series topics will include:

Location

A home being built on Overlook Court near Heavenly Mountain Resort is the first one to be denied a Vacation Home Rental permit under the Planning Commission's interpretation of the new VHR guidelines created by the City of South Lake Tahoe.

During their monthly meeting at the airport on Thursday, the commission voted 2-2 to uphold the denial of the permit made by the zoning administrator, John Hitchcock. The fifth member of the commission, Shannon Eckmeyer, was not at the meeting due to another engagement.

The annual SnowGlobe Music Festival is here to stay, at least for now.

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, promoter Chad Donnelly went before the elected officials, asking them for a three year extension of the annual festival until 2019 (though they would ultimately like a deal until 2027), and more money from the City to help with the costs of garbage pick-up and transportation for the three-day event which runs from December 29-31 each year.

What the City gave him was not quite what he was asking for as he got more cash, but less time.

The Tahoe-Douglas Rotary Club, in partnership with NBC Sports, is presenting a very unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity during the American Century Golf Championship on Wednesday, July 20 at the Hard Rock Cafe inside Harvey's from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Hear personal insights from two athletes who are playing in the South Lake Tahoe tournament. In past years, the participants have been very candid and entertaining, giving those joining the event an experience they won't soon forget.

Lake Tahoe Community College welcomes the community to a free film screening and talk on Tuesday, May 24 at 12 p.m. in the Board/Aspen Room inside the library building. The screening is “Episode 5: Prejudice and Pride” from the multi-part documentary Latino Americans: 500 Years of History. The screening will be followed by a talk led by Dr. Albert Ponce, who teaches History, Political Science and Ethnic Studies at LTCC. This bilingual event is free and open to all.

In just over one hour, the South Lake Tahoe City Council finished up all of their business for the day, but not all that was on the agenda.

City Council members Hal Cole and Tom Davis were both missing from the May 3 meeting, Davis due to a planned County Supervisor luncheon and Cole due to illness.

To televise or not televise, that was the question in front of the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday, April 19. While live streaming of the Council meetings is not required by law, it is something the City has done on both the internet and television since May, 2007.

The agenda item was added after discussion arose during the April 5 meeting when Mayor Wendy David asked that they stop televising the public comment portion of the meetings. Her comment caught many by surprise, even by some of her Council members.

Author Michael J. Makley joins our discussion of his scholarly book, Saving Lake Tahoe, which chronicles the ongoing battles amongst scientists, citizens, lawyers, governments, environmentalists, tycoons and entrepreneurs over how best to serve and utilize our greatest resource-- Lake Tahoe. Annoyed at TRPA? Read this book to understand the fascinating backstory of this unique agency and then join what is sure to be a dynamic conversation about issues we all confront. Join the Friends of the Library in partnership with the Lake Tahoe Historical Society for this free event.

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Join the Tahoe Chamber for a forum and luncheon focused on the future of South Lake Tahoe and how businesses and community members can better prepare for new and younger customers.

Featuring keynote speaker Lynn Carpenter, the VP of Marketing for Visit California, who will discuss Visit CA's marketing initiatives (US and International) and share with attendees how this impacts the local market and how local businesses can and should leverage Visit CA efforts. She'll also talk about tomorrow's visitor and discuss opportunities for local businesses.

11:30am-12pm Registration

Location

During Tuesday's South Lake Tahoe City Council meeting, the Council gave direction to the City Attorney to create a policy on how non-agenda item public comments are televised.

While the public is always invited to speak during the public comment period, the Council will look at not televising the portions that aren't about agenda items. They will also look at continuing to televise those comments made by non-profits and other groups to publicize their activities and events.

In the mix you have El Dorado County, the City of South Lake Tahoe, Lake Valley Fire Protection and the Cal Tahoe JPA. More importantly, and most likely the reason for the passionate responses from all involved, the mix also contains the safety of the public.

On March 15, 2016, the City of South Lake Tahoe sent a letter to the JPA, stating their intent to pull out of the agency that was created in 2001 to supply ambulance service to the City and the County and a portion of Alpine County.

A six-week educational series that will provide support for people who care for, or plan to care for, a family member of friend over the age of 60 will be presented by El Dorado County starting April 18, 2016.

The "Aging & Caregiver" series will be held on Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe.

The series topics will include the following:

Mountain Resort Television reporter Nicole Marsel talks about the upcoming open houses for the Winter Travel Management Project which will have discussion on how the community can get involved deciding what outdoor recreation is available in the winter for both motorized, non-motorized vehicles and other activities. Then Tracy Franklin gives this weeks City in 60 for South Lake Tahoe.

It was a very short South Lake Tahoe City Council agenda Tuesday, but one that brought out passionate comments on the dais, and what one witness called "bickering."

The lone new business item was for the creation of a City policy where local parades are concerned, an item requested to be placed on the agenda by Councilmember JoAnn Conner.

“Recent Discoveries on the Frontiers of Science: Higgs boson & Gravitational Waves” is the topic at the next free community event at Lake Tahoe Community College on Tuesday, February 16 at 6:00 p.m.

While the topic may seem heavy, Dr. James Brau will explain the recent discoveries in physics in easy-to-understand terms.

The community is invited to see the plans for the US50/South Shore Revitalization Plan for the South Lake Tahoe and Stateline areas in an open house on Tuesday, January 26 from 5:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel.

Tahoe Transportation District has been meeting with the public over several years to get opinions, input and have open discussion about the proposed plan (also know as Loop Road) that would take Highway 50 behind Raley's and the Heavenly Village. The idea is to make the area more walking and biking friendly with safer routes and less vehicle traffic.

That was the question asked a few times by Ken Caldeira, Climate Scientist at Carnegie Institution for Science, during Friday's session of "Operation Sierra Storm (OSS)" in South Lake Tahoe.

One month ago, Caldeira was at the Paris Climate Conference, COP21, and shared that experience and discussion with national meteorologists and interested locals gathered at OSS.

While most of us are concerned with our short-term local weather, Caldeira researches the long term, and long scale climate changes.

What does a Prosperous Tahoe look like? What does prosperity mean? How can we measure it? The Tahoe Prosperity Center (TPC) mission is uniting Tahoe's communities to strengthen regional prosperity. How do our governments, businesses and communities fit into that goal? What can we do to ensure Tahoe's residents are prosperous?

Sometime in the future, one will be able to hop on a bike at Van Sickle Bi-State Park and travel on Class 1 trails to Sierra Tract, and hopefully beyond.

The concept for the trail where people would walk and bike safely off the main roads actually began in 1985. Caltrans owned land through the middle of neighborhoods where a highway was proposed, but when it was apparent that would never be built, the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) joined Caltrans in discussions to obtain the land.

Another edition of the popular history series offered by the Lake Tahoe Historical Society will be held on Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at Camp Richardson.

David M. Long will present his popular talk on the history of fish hatcheries and sport fishing in Lake Tahoe, along with photos and discussion.

Cost for the evening is free for Lake Tahoe Historical Society members, and $3 for th public. Memberships will be available for purchase at the event.

For more information, visit the society's website at www.laketahoemuseum.org.

Exciting news for South Lake Tahoe, the cycling community and local tourism today when it was announced that the Amgen Tour of California will be returning to the South Shore for both men's and women's events.

Professional cyclists will return to the lake for the men's Stage 5 finish and the women's Stage 1 start on Thursday, May 19, 2016. The men will take off in Lodi, Calif. and finish at Heavenly Mountain Resort’s California Base Lodge in South Lake Tahoe. The women will also start/finish at Heavenly Mountain Resort on May 19.